CD-ROM in schools

Abstract

Reports results of a questionnaire and interview survey to investigate the views of UK secondary school teachers and school librarians on the changes in teaching and learning in their schools brought about through increased availability of CD-ROM databases. Information technology (IT) co-ordinators in the 120 secondary schools in partnership with Loughborough University, Department of Education, were sent the CD-ROM use survey and this was followed up by structured interviews with teachers and school librarians in a stratified random sample of eight schools. The survey was returned by only 26 of the schools. The number of CD-ROMs used in these schools ranged from two to 16 with an average of 7.36 with only Encarta being common to more than 20 schools. Results from the interviews show that CD-ROMs were found to be a motivating influence on pupils, with the more individualized, student-centred learning activities being reported as enhancing teaching in schools. Installation of CD-ROMs in UK schools has increased the teaching role and status of school librarians, with 85% of schools locating CD-ROMs in the school library. Recommends that schools recognize and support the changing role of the librarian, provide training for pupils in school in information handling skills and make use of the pupils’ motivations to use CD-ROM by including student-centred activities or independent research projects in schemes of work.